Joe Biden: Public leading on gun control

Vice President Joe Biden says the public is “far ahead” of its elected leaders on gun control.

“I think what was the game changer in the minds of American people saying enough is enough is what happened to those beautiful babies up in Sandy Hook,” Biden said in an excerpt of an interview set to air Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.

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“Look … this is one of the cases where the public is so far ahead of the elected officials. I mean, so far ahead,” Biden added. “You saw it in immigration, marriage issues, you’re seeing it now. The public has moved to a different place.”

The Senate is expected to open debate on gun control legislation Thursday, and thanks to a deal struck by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), pass a bill for expanded background checks.

Biden also promised those background checks wouldn’t lead to a national gun registry.

“This idea that there is a national registry, there is no place in the federal government where you can go, not a single place, and find out everybody who owns a gun,” Biden said. “That will not change under this.”

Fear of a gun registry is cited by the NRA as a reason to oppose background checks.

“When you go to buy a gun, say, at Dick’s, you give your name, address, your country of birth, your place of birth, etc., whether you’re an American citizen, Social Security number if you want to,” Biden said. “They pick up the phone and they essentially call the CBI or go online. Within three minutes, 92 percent of the people say deny or go forward. Guess what? They don’t say what kind of gun you’re buying. They don’t say where you’re going. They don’t say what it is, what the transaction is and when denied, they don’t say denied because of mental health. Nothing.”